Why’s the OHL Hammering Down on Mouthguard Violations?

It’s common in the NHL to see players constantly chew on their mouthguards throughout a game. In fact, it’s popular enough that created players in EA Sports’ NHL series have the option to gnaw on their mouthpieces. But the OHL has seen enough.

The OHL reportedly recently sent a memo to teams saying officials will crack down on players who don’t wear their mouthguards correctly – or at all – with 10-minute misconducts. They weren’t kidding. In the past couple weeks, referees have handed out more than 25 mouthguard misconducts.